On 10 December, Alzheimer Europe held a lunch debate in the European Parliament in Brussels (Belgium), entitled “Dementia as a research priority” attended by national member organisations, civil society representatives, industry partners, policy makers and members of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) and the European Dementia Carers Working Group (EDCWG). The event was attended by approximately 115 people, including nine Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Tilly Metz MEP (Luxembourg), Co-Chair of the European Alzheimer’s Alliance (EAA) hosted the session, welcoming participants and speakers, noting the importance of dementia research, as well as highlighting that in the new Parliament there are already 79 MEPs from 21 countries who have joined the EAA. She shared that by 2025, 9.1 million people will be living with dementia in Europe and that by 2050, this number is estimated to reach 14.3 million.
Furthermore, she noted:
• Recent studies have shown that up to 45% cases of dementia could potentially be prevented by focusing on key modifiable risk factors
• The development of biomarkers has made the detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia easier
• Big data and artificial intelligence are supporting prediction and helping identify people at risk of developing brain diseases
• The European Medicines Agency recently announced its revised opinion recommending the authorisation of lecanemab.
Wiesje van der Flier, Director, Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam presented on progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other types of dementia. She highlighted the need for a paradigm shift, reflecting the understanding of AD and the reality that the changes associated with the disease start many years before symptoms emerge. As such, she emphasised the vital importance of prevention, lifestyle and disease-modifying therapies, citing the risk factors and estimates from the 2024 Lancet Commission. She further noted that dementia research carried out through public-private partnerships and the projects funded under these have allowed for significant progress to be made, including in the use of biomarkers and tests for prediction, diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring, as well as tailored prevention strategies and the use of e-tools. She also noted that recent approvals for disease-modifying therapies represented a turning point but that the European Union (EU) should play a greater role in research in this area or risk being “left behind”.
Niklas Blomberg, Executive Director, Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), provided an overview of key research initiatives and projects funded through the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the IHI. He noted that the specific purpose of public-private partnerships such as the IMI and IHI is to deliver effective health innovations that cover the entire spectrum of care, particularly in areas where there is an unmet public health need. Additionally, these partnerships are intended to turn health research and innovations into tangible benefits for patients, as well as making Europe's health industries globally competitive. He highlighted a range of projects related to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, funded by these public-private partnerships, including AD-RIDDLE, PROMINENT, RADAR-AD, EPND and PREDICTOM, showing how each project addresses an important aspect of innovation for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of dementia.
Catherine Berens, Deputy Head of Unit D1, DG RTD, European Commission, discussed the future of dementia research in EU research programmes, highlighting that EUR 400 million has been invested in dementia research under Horizon Europe, whilst noting that many unmet medical needs remain. She outlined the forthcoming “European Partnership on Brain Health” which is expected to commence in 2026, with a duration of ten years. The aim of the partnership will be to accelerate the delivery of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and care solutions to foster brain health in citizens and patients, as well as aligning efforts and funding from Member States/ Associated Countries in the brain health research area. Details for the partnership are under discussion as part of a dedicated Coordination and Support Action which commenced in November 2023, and which will run for two years. It was noted that work in this area ties into the broader work of the EU research agenda, as well as aligning with the Mission Letters and strategic priorities recently set out under the new College of Commissioners.
Following the presentations, a number of MEPs contributed to the session including:
• Romana Jerković (Croatia)
• Ondřej Dostál (Czechia)
• Ciaran Mullooly (Ireland)
• Nikos Papandreou (Greece)
• Vladimir Prebilič (Slovenia)
• Isabel Wiseler-Lima (Luxembourg)
• Tomáš Zdechovský (Czechia).
Michal Szczerba MEP (Poland) was also in attendance at the lunch debate. Alzheimer Europe would like to thank Tilly Metz MEP and her office for all their support and hard work in organising and hosting this great event. A big thank you, also, to all of the speakers for their excellent presentations and to the MEPs who took part in the discussions, as well as to everyone who joined us at the Parliament. This lunch debate took part as part of our European Parliament Dementia Day, during which a number of activities and meetings were held to prioritise dementia at a European level. Read more about these activities, here:
